Commercial Manager – Supply Chain Services (VA2316)

IBMG Independent Builders Merchants Group (IBMG) is one of the UK’s leading building materials merchant groups, bringing together a strong network of well-established local merchant brands. With branches across the South of England and beyond, IBMG supplies building materials, timber, plumbing & heating, roofing and specialist products to trade professionals and customers.

IBMG combines the local knowledge and customer focus of independent merchants with the scale, support and buying power of a national group. Each brand retains its identity, while benefiting from shared systems, investment and long-term growth strategy. The group is committed to developing its people, supporting local communities, and building a sustainable future for the construction supply industry. IBMG offers a dynamic working environment with opportunities to grow, learn and build a long-term career.

The Commercial Manager - Supply Chain Services is responsible for developing, controlling, and optimising pricing for customers operating within the social housing, repairs, and maintenance sectors across our Polegate, Barnstaple, and High Wycombe branches. The role ensures pricing is competitive, compliant with contractual requirements, and financially sustainable, supporting long-term partnerships with housing associations, local authorities, and specialist contractors. The Commercial Manager plays a key role in protecting margin, supporting tender success, and embedding strong pricing governance across the business.

Qualifications & Experience

• Proven experience in pricing, commercial, or margin management within a building merchant, distributor, or construction supply business.
• Strong understanding of social housing, repairs, and maintenance pricing models, including procurement frameworks and tender processes.
• Experience building and managing contract, framework, and managed supply pricing structures.
• Strong analytical capability, with advanced Excel skills and experience handling large pricing datasets.
• Confident user of ERP pricing systems and contract price list management.
• Experience working closely with sales, buying, and finance teams to support commercial decision-making.

Personal Attributes

• Commercially astute, with a strong focus on margin protection and long-term profitability.
• Detail-oriented, with a disciplined approach to pricing governance and controls.
• Confident and credible, able to challenge pricing decisions constructively and influence stakeholders.
• Analytical and data-led, comfortable interpreting margin, cost, and discount data.
• Well-organised, able to manage multiple pricing activities, tenders, and deadlines simultaneously.
• Pragmatic and solution-focused, balancing customer needs with commercial realities.
• Collaborative, building strong working relationships across sales, buying, finance, and operations.
• Resilient, able to manage pressure in regulated, cost-sensitive environments.

Main Accountabilities and Responsibilities

• Pricing Strategy & Governance
  • Develop and maintain pricing frameworks for social housing and contractor customers, balancing competitiveness with margin protection.
  • Define pricing rules, discount structures, and approval levels to ensure consistent pricing application across branches and sales teams.
  • Own pricing policies for framework agreements, customer terms, and managed supply contracts.
• Contract, Framework & Tender Pricing
  • Lead pricing activity for tenders, frameworks, and long-term supply agreements with housing associations, local authorities, and maintenance contractors.
  • Build and maintain contract pricing models, including fixed pricing, indexed pricing, and cost-plus arrangements.
  • Ensure pricing reflects service requirements such as delivery frequency, stockholding, call-off volumes, and compliance obligations.
• Cost & Margin Management
  • Monitor supplier cost movements and assess their impact on both contract and spot pricing.
  • Implement cost increases in a structured and controlled way, managing customer sensitivity in regulated and budget-constrained environments.
  • Track gross margin performance by customer, contract, category, and branch, identifying risks and corrective actions.
• Product & Category Pricing
  • Price core product ranges used in social housing and R&M activity, including timber, Heavyside, Lightside, plumbing and heating, electrical, kitchens, doors, and windows.
  • Work closely with buying and category teams to ensure pricing reflects true landed costs, rebates, and supplier agreements.
  • Support range rationalisation and value-engineered alternatives where appropriate.